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Tag: Transport

NL ranks first for courier innovation

Posted on by David Priestman

According to a new study, the The Netherlands ranks first with UK fifth in Europe for capacity for innovation, technological progress and sustainability in the delivery and courier industry. The UK leads the way for the continent in legislation for automated cars, with only Germany having more in place.

The research found the UK performs well across a range of factors that signal potential to innovate in road delivery services. The UK ranks just above Sweden, Spain and Belgium, with a score over double that of Poland.

Yet, in terms of road quality and electric light commercial vehicle usage, the UK lags behind the Netherlands, Germany, France and Switzerland. Investment in these areas is needed if the UK wants to keep pace with other European nations.

The European Delivery Innovator Index, research conducted by return loads platform Courier Exchange, analysed data on various metrics connecting the courier industry with innovation and technological advancement. Factors taken into consideration include transport infrastructure, electric vehicle charging point availability and the general capacity for innovation.

Leading the way with autonomous vehicle laws

One area where the UK excels is paving the way for automated vehicles (AVs) with government legislation. Apart from Germany, every other European country either has no legislation in development or only has approval in place for testing AVs.

Autonomous vehicle adoption and other emerging technology such as drones is set to energise the last-mile delivery market, influenced by rapid growth in the e-commerce industry. The UK’s progressive legislation in this area indicates its openness to embracing new technology to expand road delivery services.

This summer, it was announced that the UK will become home to the world’s largest automated drone superhighway within the next two years. Alongside tech companies, the government unveiled plans to integrate drone deliveries into our daily lives.

Luke Davies, Commercial Director at Courier Exchange, says: “Demand for delivery services is showing no signs of slowing down, so to keep up, the sector will need to find efficiencies where it can. Innovation will play a huge role in achieving this and innovation will come in many guises, from AI to drones.

“It’s vital that the delivery sector embraces technology and adapts, particularly when customers have become so used to convenience and speedy delivery. Customers are also demanding that the goods they buy are sustainable, at every stage of the supply chain, so we’ll soon see more electric delivery vehicles on the road.

“What’s encouraging is that so many European nations are well-positioned when it comes to innovation. Just how ready they are varies from territory to territory, but the overall picture is promising and once innovative practices become the norm – and are seen to be successful – other countries will introduce them.”

CLICK HERE to read the full study, methodology details and sources.

Romania terminal reaches construction milestone

Posted on by Keith McKinley

DP World has announced that the construction of its multi-million Euro terminal in Aiud, Romania, is over 50% complete. When complete in 2023, the state-of-the-art 82,000 sq m Aiud intermodal terminal will link an area that contributes 50% of Romania’s industrial GDP directly with rail connections across Europe and all the way to China.

DP World’s new terminal will also boast a static storage capacity of 3,000 TEU and create direct links to key export markets. This will help overcome traditional barriers of poor infrastructure reaching north-eastern Romania, and drive further business to DP World’s Constanta port, supporting further volume growth in the Black Sea terminal.

Cosmin Carstea, CEO of DP World Romania, said: “We are very pleased to have reached this significant milestone in the construction of this multi-modal terminal, which will be a big step in helping DP World become an end-to-end logistics provider in Romania.

“As it is situated in Romania’s industrial heartland, when completed our Aiud terminal will provide exporters and importers in the wider area with direct access to a major transport hub, creating efficient, robust and reliable trade routes to the whole country and beyond.”

Rashid Abdulla, CEO of DP World Europe, said: “Our purpose is to make trade flow. The development of this vast new facility in Aiud is a strong example of DP World’s ability to provide new trading opportunities that connect cargo owners with their customers, whatever their products and wherever they are in the world.

“When completed next year, the terminal will help DP World to create better, more sustainable and more efficient ways to move cargo for our customers, and simultaneously bolster Romania’s role in connecting its domestic market with Northern, Central and Eastern Europe.”

Through its on-site connection to the electrified rail infrastructure, the Aiud terminal will also help reduce transportation costs and CO2 emissions through the shift from road to rail as well as through the reduced transit time for cargoes from factories at the industrial park to their final destination.

Decea which is located in Alba county is close to Cluj, Sibiu, Mures and Hunedoara, which have become vital industrial and trade hubs for the country.

Businesses in this area will now have a fast direct connection within Europe to the Black Sea, North and Adriatic seas, while also having rail links to major hubs in Central Asia and China, enabling Romania to become a commercial hub for European trade eastward.

 

DHL Express expands Johor Gateway facility

Posted on by Keith McKinley

DHL Express, the world’s leading international express service provider, has opened its expanded RM10.8m (approx. €2.35m) Johor Gateway located within the Senai Airport City industrial park. Spanning over 6,000 sq m of warehouse space, the facility is more than twice the size of its predecessor and will support robust trade growth in Malaysia’s southern region.

The new Johor Gateway comes equipped with a high-speed conveyor system capable of sorting up to 1,900 shipments per hour. This offers improved shipment processing for the more than 1,800 parcels and documents bound for and coming from the facility’s busiest trade lanes, namely the United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Singapore, Germany, Hong Kong, China, and Japan. The faster transit times make for an uptick in service quality for customers in Johor and Singapore.

The facility’s opening was officiated by Yang Berhormat Lee Ting Han, Johor State Executive Councilor, and Investment, Trade, and Consumer Affairs Committee Chairman. Sean Wall, Executive Vice President of Network Operations and Aviation at DHL Express Asia Pacific, and Julian Neo, Managing Director of DHL Express Malaysia and Brunei, were also present alongside representatives from local authorities, investment bodies, and customers.

“Johor has long emerged as a major centre of economic activity and recently recorded RM60.9 bn (approx. €13.3bn) in investments from January to June this year. This is the highest in the country and the highest-ever for our state,” said Y.B. Lee. “DHL’s continued confidence is a strong endorsement of our strategic position in Asia Pacific and our dynamic business landscape.”

Sean Wall added: “As one of the fastest growing economies, Johor remains a critical element of the regional DHL network. The Johor Gateway shows our commitment to enhancing connectivity for the countries and communities we serve. Through its upgrades, our new facility can rise to the demands of increasing cargo volumes driven by the state’s strong import and export performance.”

Managed by 135 Certified International Specialists, the Johor Gateway is designed with the highest security standards as per Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) guidelines. In addition to high-definition digital cameras that identify and capture shipment movement piece by piece, advanced X-ray and explosive trace detection (ETD) machines are in place.

In line with Deutsche Post DHL Group’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the facility is fitted with state-of-the-art solar panels and energy-efficient infrastructure that cut the release of greenhouse gases by an estimated 22%.

“The new Johor Gateway is a testament to the enormous extent that global trade has intensified. Overseas markets will remain important to help SMEs and large corporations realise their growth potential. With the bigger and enhanced facility, DHL Express can better help homegrown brands to get their business from where they are to where they want to be,” said Neo.

The Johor Gateway is one of six gateways across the DHL Express Malaysia aviation and ground network. This includes 11 service centres, 137 retail outlets and service points, 347 vehicles, 73 weekly flights, four dedicated aircrafts, and 1,500 employees to ensure comprehensive service coverage.

 

CakeBoxx makes executive team appointment

Posted on by David Priestman

CakeBoxx Technologies has appointed digital supply chain expert James Blom to its executive team. Building on CakeBoxx Technologies’ record year-over-year growth in 2020 (200%) and 2021 (260%), Blom’s appointment follows the announcements of CakeBoxx’s new COO, James Campbell, and new CTO, Sean Tan.

With this expanded executive team, the company says it is well-positioned for 2023 to accelerate its leadership in specialised supply chain platforms and container solutions for renewable energy, defence, and critical infrastructure projects associated with autonomous transportation and automation.

“We have seen unprecedented demand across multiple industries for our specialised transportation platforms,” said Daine Eisold, Founder and CEO of CakeBoxx Technologies. “With our reputation for integrated systems engineered modular, intermodal transport and storage platforms in the wind energy and defence sectors, we are naturally gravitating toward the exciting autonomous naval, aerospace, and uncrewed vehicle systems industries to develop advanced transportation solutions for their high-value, mission-critical programmes.

“We are now being asked to reimagine container and supply chain transportation holistically. This involves everything from rearchitecting container cargo operations, intermodal facilities, transloading and warehousing, to evolving the performance of global digital supply chain platforms. By integrating advances in supply chain visibility, tracking, and real-time intelligence software for shipping and logistics with physical, unmanned, automated, robotic, and hybrid autonomous transportation systems, we can make tremendous strides in the overall utility and value of complete global supply chain assets.

“Jim Blom is an incredibly talented, multi-dimensional systems thinker and visionary. I have worked with him over the past two decades in maritime cargo security, transportation performance logistics, and supply chain visibility, relying heavily on his guidance and mentoring. After years of incubation, CakeBoxx Technologies has matured to a stage of development where Jim’s abilities can be fully incorporated and will have a profound effect on our growth.

“It was an easy decision for the Board and I to ask Jim to join our team to scale our business model and growth strategy. By adding Jim as our CRO, we will accelerate our FY22 -FY25 revenues with new shipping solutions and third-party logistics platform offerings that provide unprecedented advances in performance, automation, and artificial intelligence.”

CakeBoxx Technologies has evolved its intrinsically simple, incredibly effective two-piece shipping container design for over more than a decade, providing safe transport for numerous specialised assets of strategic importance. This includes an increasingly complex array of both out-of-gauge and in-gauge cargos, superloads such as wind turbines and gearboxes, jet engines, uncrewed systems, and sensitive communications and sensor systems. CakeBoxx solutions offer the industry’s strongest and lightest weight customised shipping decks and platforms, with or without CakeBoxx’s protective lid.

“CakeBoxx Technologies has built a strong base of government and Fortune 500 customers by developing innovative solutions to overcome some of the world’s most challenging shipping issues while also meeting the highest standards of performance, security, and sustainability,” said CakeBoxx Technologies Board member, Michael Quinn. “Jim Blom is a seasoned operations leader, and subject matter expert in the shipping, transportation, and logistics industries – his addition to the executive leadership team is a very strategic move for the company.

“His technology expertise and supply chain experience applying cloud computing, blockchain, artificial intelligence, and edge computing to address global supply chain disruption, port congestion, and last-mile logistics delivery will enable CakeBoxx Technologies to scale its revenue operations and expand the company’s growth into new marketplaces and ecosystems.”

As CRO, Blom will lead revenue operations focused on CakeBoxx’s product development, sales, and field operations, overseeing CakeBoxx’s GTM, technology partnerships, and strategic alliances.

Blom’s mandate will include growing market share in environmental sustainability, focusing on the renewable energy and regenerative food systems industries. Blom will also take on CakeBoxx’s pioneering work for Boeing and Lockheed Martin, evolving its defence and aerospace portfolio and revenues in C4ISR and the uncrewed and autonomous transportation industries.

Blom commented: “Re-imagining the modern shipping container and re-architecting intermodal and last-mile delivery supply chains helps industries accelerate attainment of their global climate and Net Zero sustainability targets. Thanks to our distinguished reputation as a tier-one systems engineering firm, we have an unprecedented opportunity to provide value. Addressing sustainability and carbon reduction initiatives has never been more important. CakeBoxx Technologies’ ability to combine adaptive automation, intelligent, connected, and high-performance systems design with SAFETY Act level security is a defining capability for shippers and 3PLs with sustainability goals.”

CakeBoxx products and advanced supply chain systems engineering services are available to companies, governments, NGOs, and other organisations worldwide seeking to transform their transportation efficiency, lower total cost of ownership, build resilience, and improve safety, security, and sustainability in their supply chain operations.

 

Communications key staffing and supply chain issues

Posted on by David Priestman

Clear communications will be essential for supply chain firms to tackle future challenges in recruiting and retaining good staff, according to speakers at a recent packaging business conference. The AGM of the Timber Packaging & Pallet Confederation (TIMCON), held in Dublin, heard a diverse panel of speakers address members on the difficulties – and opportunities – ahead of supply chain businesses in the wake of Covid-19 and current procurement issues.

Imelda Hurley, CEO of Irish state forestry business Coillte, said forest-based business has very strong sustainability credentials but that these were not well understood by those outside the sector. It is therefore vital, she said, “to communicate more in terms of everything our sector delivers”. In his presentation, Mike Glennon, joint managing director of Ireland and UK timber processing firm Glennon Brothers, said the country needed to ensure that afforestation was made “easy, understandable and administratively manageable” to enable it to meet its EU carbon reduction targets.

Caroline Reidy of human resources consultant HR Suite also highlighted the importance of communication in her keynote speech on the positive actions pallet and packaging businesses can do to tackle current employment issues. Focusing on recruitment and retention, she said companies who communicate strong core values internally and externally and introduce more flexible ways of working stand a better chance of finding and retaining good staff.

The meeting included presentations by two government ministers. Peter Burke, Irish Minister of State for Housing and Local Planning opened the meeting, saying that the Irish government would “position our forests and wood products at the centre of a growing bioeconomy,” and that this would provide benefits not just to forest owners “but also to wider society.”

Matt Carthy, Sinn Fein spokesperson on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, who spoke on current and future policy challenges for the timber sector and said the forestry industry would be essential to meeting future environmental targets. “If we don’t deliver on forestry, we won’t deliver on climate,” he said.

TIMCON President John Dye said forest-based businesses of all kinds should work together to promote both the industry’s environmental credentials and attractiveness as a place to work.

“People in the street still don’t understand how important a pallet is that every part of our trees is used, and reused many times before then being recycled,” he said, “Our whole industry should be pooling its resources and working together to promote this message.

“Wooden pallets and packaging is one of the most sustainable industries, dealing with products that are essential to keeping supply chains moving smoothly. It’s a business of great people, too, with opportunities to travel and work with colleagues from around the world.”

Dye announced that TIMCON would be launching an initiative to communicate the sector’s environmental credentials to the supply chain and wider public, in particular highlighting its role in encouraging the reuse of wooden products.

The meeting also heard updates from Angus Macpherson, managing director of The Environment Exchange; and Tom Gaynor, operations manager for recovery and recycling at REPAK.

Image caption: TIMCON board members with Minister Peter Burke. Left to right: Mary Walsh; Darren Turner; TIMCON President John Dye; Peter Burke; and Fergal Moran.

 

Permission granted for pipeline to UK LPG storage facility

Posted on by David Priestman

Flogas Britain, one of the UK’s leading liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) suppliers, has announced that it has been granted planning permission to construct a gas pipeline from Bristol Port into the nation’s largest above ground LPG storage terminal, at Avonmouth, near Bristol.

Once complete, the pipeline will link the UK to a diverse, global supply of off-grid gas, providing security of supply and enhancing affordability for off-grid logistics businesses and residential customers. It will also play an important role in the decarbonisation of off-grid Britain, in line with the Government’s 2050 net zero target.

With planning permission now in place, Flogas (part of DCC plc) is now actively talking to potential partners from across the entire supply chain, who want to join Flogas in creating a dependable, affordable and greener off-grid fuel supply for the UK.

Flogas is fully committed to meeting net zero targets and securing a low carbon future, so planning approval for the pipeline marks a major milestone for the business. LPG is the cleanest, most efficient conventional off-grid fuel available, and logistics businesses transitioning from oil will benefit from significant carbon savings and improved air quality, as it emits far fewer pollutant emissions.

As well as importing LPG, the pipeline will have the capability to import Bio-LPG, which is a fully renewable green gas alternative. Additionally, it will provide access to emerging sources of renewable fuels not currently manufactured or available in the UK, helping to further future-proof Britain’s supply of low carbon off-grid fuels. There will be clear affordability benefits too, as access to global markets will increase supplier options, and reduce the UK’s reliance on its diminishing refinery network.

Starting at Bristol Port with a new, state-of-the-art unloading facility, the pipeline will largely follow existing pipeline routes through predominantly industrial areas, to the Flogas Avonmouth storage facility. Running safely underground and out of site, the twin-pipeline will vastly increase the availability of LPG and Bio-LPG, enabling up to 20,000 tonnes of commodity to be safely and securely discharged from a ship in 24 hours.

The Flogas Avonmouth Storage facility is the largest of its kind in the UK, with the capacity to store 34,564 tonnes of LPG. Formerly owned by National Grid, the Avonmouth facility was previously only able to store LNG (liquefied natural gas). However, work is currently underway to convert it to an LPG and Bio-LPG storage facility, further strengthening Flogas’ distribution network, and providing customers with an unrivalled off-grid gas supply chain.

Lee Gannon, Flogas Britain’s Managing Director, said: “The granting of planning permission is the final piece in the jigsaw for this ground-breaking project, as we already have the Avonmouth storage facility and agreement in principle from Bristol Port and landowners for the pipeline route.

“This means we’re now perfectly placed to start talking to prospective partners from across the supply chain who want to join us in this venture. Avonmouth offers an excellent collaborative opportunity, one that will provide important access to the global market and enhance security of supply to our off-grid customers. It’s also completely future ready and will be key in helping homes and businesses make that important energy transition to net zero emissions.

“The next phase of design is currently underway and with completion of construction potentially as early as 2025, we will soon have locked in a direct link between our storage facility and world supply of existing and upcoming carbon free fuels.”

Gannon concluded: “As an energy supplier that is committed to meeting net zero targets, we fully support heat pumps and other renewable power supplies, but for many off-grid homes and businesses they can be either unsuitable or unaffordable. For these customers, LPG is the perfect off-grid transition fuel away from oil, and this pipeline will increase its affordability and supply.”

George Webb, CEO of Liquid Gas UK (LGUK) added: “The new Avonmouth facility marks a significant step in the import and supply of renewable liquid gases here in the UK. The site will enable a much greater storage capacity of LPG and renewable liquid gases, which will in turn will strengthen the supply chain and make a significant contribution to the future resilience of the industry as a whole.

“The new pipeline demonstrates Flogas’s commitment to facilitate the development of renewable fuels in the UK, helping residents and businesses on the road to net zero emissions. It’s fantastic news, and great progress for the decarbonisation of off-grid Britain.”

 

 

Samskip launches Duisburg-Rostock rail link

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Samskip has added over 10% capacity to its multimodal connections between Germany and Scandinavia as a result of launching three-times weekly block train services connecting Duisburg and Rostock together with Hector Rail.

The all-electric train service links the Duisburg Hohenbudberg terminal and the Rostock Trimodal terminal for coordination with the port’s ro-ro ferry services. It creates a significant additional new routing option to connect Germany’s Ruhr area and the south-east of the Netherlands with Sweden’s key Stockholm/Gävle/Örebro/Jönköping region, Finland and other Baltic markets.

Departing from Duisburg on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the 700m length trains arrive in Rostock on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday to coincide with Hansa Destination ferry connections to Nynäshamn (south of Stockholm). Entering the market in August 2021, Hansa has developed substantial freight volumes into and out of the Swedish midlands, with the regular Nynäshamn call periodically augmented by stopovers at Visby.

The Duisburg-Rostock rail link also means Samskip can offer additional service options direct into southern Sweden and Finland by coordinating with separate daily ferry departures to Trelleborg, Kotka, Hanka and Rauma.

Samskip already offers an extensive network of containerised rail services connecting Duisburg with destinations in Sweden, operating its own block trains into Katrineholm, Falköping and Nässjö 14 times a week.

“Hector Rail is delighted to be able to expand its excellent long-term cooperation with Samskip by establishing a two-way intermodal offer between the Ruhr area and Scandinavia,” commented Stig Kyster-Hansen Managing Director of Hector Rail GmbH.

Shortsea operations out of Rostock represent a strategic addition to transport options for all types of multimodal freight customers, according to Gert-Jan Meijer, Head of Trade, Sweden, Samskip. In addition to offering capacity for ISO containers, Mega trailers and P400 trailers, wagons deployed accommodate non-cranable trailers, opening the new route to a wide range of third party and shippers’ own equipment.

“There has been a clear need to increase capacity between Germany and Scandinavia based on growing trade volumes and new requests, but high diesel prices and continuing driver shortages are also steering more cargo away from the road,” said Meijer. “Offering an additional high-frequency service option consolidates the competitive edge that multimodal  has over road haulage in terms of reliability in the supply chain.”

Thomas Vitte, Commercial Manager of Hector Rail GmbH, added: “Through this broader service offer it will be possible to attract more cargo to rail with an even more competitive and efficient product, thereby enhancing sustainable transport solutions between Germany and Scandinavia.”

The capacity boost comes during a period of opportunity for multimodal in Europe, whose lower emissions align with sustainability goals set by corporates. EU Mobility Package measures to improve haulier conditions are also driving road freight out of the market.

High frequency in rail services strengthens the case for sustainable transport, Meijer commented. “Our larger customers want to do more using lower carbon options, new customers are knocking on the door and it’s fair to say that there is a general mood in Germany that now is the time to switch away from road.”

The combination of all-electric rail traction, short sea economies of scale, short last-mile over the road operations and flexibility on unitised options “epitomises what Samskip is striving to deliver in sustainable connections for the European logistics market”, said Meijer. “We want to thank Hector Rail, Hansa Destinations and the Port of Rostock and to celebrate this joint effort in ‘Making Green Logistics easy’.”

 

Cabify launches logistics brand

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Cabify, the international multi-mobility platform, has opened a new chapter in its diversification of mobility solutions, this time aimed at the storage and transfer of goods, with the launch of the new Cabify Logistics brand in Spain and Latin America. With this new line of business, the company seeks to continue to grow and consolidate its position as an ally of mobility in cities, offering a safe, efficient, and sustainable quality service, taking advantage of the potential of technology.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Cabify made an ambitious commitment to the delivery service to make it easier for individuals and companies to distribute parcels in cities. Over time, the company began to gain relevance with its B2B2C service and, today, is positioned in the logistics market as a full-service technology provider, an ally of companies with online sales that seek to deliver their products in the best conditions and with multiple options. Proof of this is the accelerated evolution of this line of the company: from January to June this year, this business grew more than 2.5x, with a portfolio of more than 5,000 customers globally, among which are large companies such as Mercado Libre, among others. In addition, the platform has successfully developed strategic integrations with Shopify and Mercado Envíos Flex.

“Last year we focused on reinforcing the personalisation of the service, adapting new functionalities according to the needs of our customers. Our strong safety and quality strategy, reinforced by our high-efficiency level and delivery times of less than 30 minutes, opened the door to this new market,” said Vicente Pascual, Vice President of Cabify Logistics. “Being a service offered by Cabify has allowed us to gain the trust of thousands of companies that already know us for our ride-hailing service, which has been an important trigger for our growth. Cabify is a consolidated brand in the multi-mobility market with more than 10 years of presence in Europe and Latin America. That strength has allowed us to exceed 500,000 deliveries within eight months of launching the service in 2020, five times faster than the time it took us in our beginnings to make the first 500,000 trips,” he added.

Given the growth in demand for logistics-related services, Cabify has identified an opportunity to continue growing in this sector and expand its portfolio of mobility-related solutions. Logistics has become a new market for Cabify, which poses a new challenge for the brand as well. This line of business comprises a different type of service. It is aimed at a different audience with specific needs, which requires a new way of identifying and relating to the one that Cabify has been using until now. The new Cabify Logistics brand will accompany all logistics services aimed at companies.

New challenges: restaurants and technology

The company aims to close the year growing five times more than last year in this new line of business. To this end, Cabify expects to invest $20m in Cabify Logistics. The main focus of Cabify Logistics will continue to be the urban last-mile logistic service in Spain, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, and Chile for companies in sectors such as e-commerce, retail or pharma.

Specifically, in the Latin American market, the strategy will focus on offering immediate deliveries to supermarkets and retailers. Also, in this region, the company has started offering last-mile logistics services for restaurants that already have their own delivery order channel or use online ordering systems such as Chile’s Mercat. Chains such as Wendy’s and KFC in Argentina already use Cabify Logistics as a logistics provider. In the case of Chile, Mercat’s partner restaurants can find Cabify as a delivery option directly from the marketplace platform.

The company plans to continue advancing the cross-dock service in the Spanish market in its warehouses. This service consists of receiving a high volume of packages from one or several customers in the central warehouse to separate the goods by delivery city and routes. In addition, Cabify Logistics will continue to progress in the parcel service with solutions based on its own warehouses and key agreements that allow improving the capillarity of the service throughout the territory. In this regard, for example, Cabify already offers a storage and delivery service for products that require refrigeration in Madrid. Its clients include companies such as Colvin, flowers and plants e-commerce, and Cervezas La Virgen.

In the coming months, Cabify Logistics will continue to work on strengthening the technology that supports the operation to remain a leader in routing, real-time tracking, and warehouse management. The customisation of Cabify Logistics’ service is based on the constant development and adaptation of its technology according to the needs of its customers and on offering a user-friendly experience. In that sense, the company is looking to add new integrations with e-commerce and logistics platforms to offer a more agile way to customers who wish to start using the service.

“We are betting heavily on Cabify Logistics and will invest in strengthening our technology and team. This line of business started with five people, and to date, there are already more than 50 of us, in addition to Cabify’s central resources. We are reinforcing the team in the countries where we operate to scale the service we provide to our customers, and we will invest in strengthening our customer service centre and its technology to accelerate our 24/7 multichannel service,” Pascual said.

In terms of fleet, the company will continue to offer motorbike and car services in Latin America, where it is already the leader. As a novelty, it plans to introduce one tonne or more cargo vehicles soon and to continue increasing the electric and zero-emission fleet by including bicycles and electric scooters. In the case of Spain, 100% of Cabify Logistics’ own fleet are electric vans dedicated exclusively to the parcel service.

 

First Hydrogen vans receive certification

Posted on by Keith McKinley

First Hydrogen, an automotive and energy developer, has announced that its first zero emission light commercial vehicles (LCVs) have been certified legal on British roads by the Vehicle Certification Authority.

The vehicles will now be able to undertake customer trials on public roads commencing January 2023 for a period of 24 months, during which the company expects to collect significant proprietary data from fleet owners and to capture high-level interest for future orders. The vans will be trialled in real-world conditions with major fleet operators initially in the UK and enable First Hydrogen to publicly showcase its leading design and accelerate the adoption by light commercial vehicle owners of fuel cell-powered vehicles to replace ageing diesel fleets. A total of 13 UK fleet operators in various industries including telecoms, utilities, infrastructure, delivery, grocery and healthcare have signed up to participate in the trials.

These two demonstrator vehicles will showcase the advantages fuel cell electric vehicles have over battery electric vehicles in terms of range and refuelling speed. First Hydrogen vehicles offer 400-600km of range on a single refuelling, which takes a matter of minutes. The certification is a significant milestone for the company and will help with further approvals required as First Hydrogen scales up its vehicle demonstrator programme to trial the vehicles in the European Union, United States and Canada. The global light commercial vehicle market is projected to reach $786.5bn by 2030 and First Hydrogen’s vehicles will help the sector meet zero emission targets.

First Hydrogen is also working in parallel to arrange green hydrogen generation and distribution under its “Hydrogen as a Service” or HaaS program to provide a holistic solution to the market. First Hydrogen’s plans are underway in the UK, Europe, and North America to provide this solution.

Steve Gill, CEO of Automotive for First Hydrogen, says: “This is an important step which validates our engineering and technical expertise. The whole team has worked hard to deliver this certification and we can now move forward with the important customer trials commencing in early 2023.”

Balraj Mann, Chairman and CEO of First Hydrogen Corp., states: “We are proud of our Automotive team and their recent accomplishments. I am excited about the groundwork laid by the whole team and, as we move forward, executing our business plan in the coming months. Green hydrogen is becoming a clean alternative answer to fossil fuels.”

Zeus nets £1.8m in funding

Posted on by Keith McKinley

UK-based logtech startup Zeus, which is modernising road freight management with its next-generation digital freight matching platform, has raised £1.8m in its first-ever angel funding round.

The company, which achieved 326% growth in total volume in 2021, has now raised over £4.3m since it was first conceived in 2019, and comes as the startup passes its two-year milestone since it was launched in August 2020. Zeus’ growth also reached a key milestone last month after it expanded into Europe, handling freight routes in France, Italy and the Czech Republic for the pioneering international fashion retailer Primark.

This angel round had participation from investors: Robin Ladow, Founder of Marl Capital and Lead Investor; Ahmed Abou Hashima, Chief Executive Officer of Egyptian Steel; Jai Shroff, Global CEO of UPL Limited, a global investor in sustainable development; Nick Crosby, Chief Sales Officer at Data Techniques; James Burrows, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Vertical Futures, the industry-leading vertical farming startup; Jordan’s former Transport Minister Sahel Al-Majali; and Duncan Lindsay, Founder of Networks Centre.

Clemente Theotokis, Co-Founder and joint-Managing Director, said: “Zeus has seen significant growth since its launch. This investment will further fund our expansion into Europe, where we are already rapidly gaining new clients, and the development of new SaaS solutions to further digitise our clients’ supply chains and accelerate the path to implementing sustainable freight.”

Zeus now serves more than 40 enterprise-level clients, including Primark, P&G, Decathlon, AB InBev and Apollo Tyres, handling over 660,000 tonnes of cargo annually worth circa £6bn.

The platform offers a near ‘zero-touch’ approach to managing road freight, with complete end-to-end tracking, reconciliation and system integrations. It reduces road freight administration for both shippers and hauliers, while helping small-medium fleets grow quickly with fast payment terms.

Ahmed Abou Hashima, who steered Egyptian Steel to securing 25% of Egypt’s national steel production and is now one of the biggest industrial companies in the Middle East, said: “Globally, Zeus may be a later entrant to the freight automation sector, however they are showing a true grasp of the need for layers of innovation and invention meshed together with skilled teams and clear strategic planning. The rapid growth of the technology and customer base convinced me that Zeus represents an excellent vision for the future of freight, globally.”

Zeus Co-Founder and joint-Managing Director, Jai Kanwar, added: “We could not be more excited about the completion of this round. These leaders present great strategic value to a fast-growing startup like Zeus as successful business minds as well as savvy financiers. I’m thrilled about what the future holds for Zeus now that we have these amazing partners onboard and the chance to make our vision truly come alive.”

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